Electric trap



L. RATCHFORD 0,723

ELECTRIC TRAP I Filed May 15, 1945 INVENT OR.

HARRY L. RATCHFORD BY AT TORNEY Patented May 20, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC TRAP Harry L. Ratchford, Muncie, Ind. Application May 15, 1945, Serial No. 593,786

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in electrical devices intended for facilitating the destruction of small animals such as mice. It has for its special object the providing of a device that is suitable for use with the current available in domestic electrical equipment generally, and which said device is capable of being conveniently and easily handled, and is simple in construction, durable and dependable.

The above named general object, as well as other and more specific aims devoted to making such device economical of manufacture, and of design lending itself to economy in merchandising, are accomplished by, and my invention is contained in the new construction, combination and arrangement of parts described in the following specification, and illustrated in the acccml panying drawings.

The several parts of the invention are indicated by suitable characters of reference applied to them, in the difierent views in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved electric trap.

Figure 2 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional view taken on the broken line 2-2, in the direction of arrow 2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end View in the direction of arrow 3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end View in the direction of arrow 4 in Figure 2. A

Figure 5 is a vertical cross section view, taken on the broken line 5-5, in the direction of arrow 5 in Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan View of the device, in the direction of arrow 6 in Figure 2.

A body structure ll is made of Bakelite or other suitable dielectric material and is formed with a recess whose opposite walls are slightly convergent, as indicated in Figure 1. CommunL eating with the inboard end of said recess is a compartment i l from the roof l5 of which extends downwardly, a stud l6 which will pres ently be referred to.

Integrated with the bottom portion of each of the walls H and is of said recess, is a floor 29 which extends toward said compartment. Inset I in said fioor, at position near the cell and in close adjacency to each other, are thin conductive floor plates 2| and 22. Imbedded in each of the side portions of said body H is a conductive metal strip 24. The forward portion of this strip is protruded through the wall of said recess at its outboard or forward portion, thence it is bent rearwardly and substantially in alignment with said wall and to the zone of the floor plate and near the said compartment, and constitutes an electrode 25. The rearward portion of each of said strips 24 is projected beyond the rearward end of said body H, and is bent upon itself to constitute a terminal post 26. Conductive wires 23 connect the strips 24 to the plates 2| and 22.

Using my improved trap consists simply in attaching the lure such as a chunk of meat or smear of cheese to the stud I6, and of then disposing the device at the location desired, and attaching to the terminal posts 26 a conventional attachment plug fitting F which is a part of the conductor equipment (not shown). The device is conveniently used with one hundred ten volt alternating current, or direct current installations, the former being the most usual.

Whereas in the drawings the device is shown of size, plan-formation and proportions as applicable to a trap of minimum size, its length being about four and one half inches, it will be understood that minor changes and modifications in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit or principle of the invention.

There being unnecessary any manipulation of the trap, and the procedure of applying the bait and of .disposing the trap in place, being obvious, no especial skill or ingenuity is required on the part of the user; and moreover, the user senses no apprehension of injury to himself in baiting and setting the trap.

If the animal, lured, as it is, into the recess [2, in its advancing toward the bait, places its feet on both of the plates, electrocution ensues, If the sides of the animal contact both electrodes, but the feet do not contact the floor plates, there is electrocution. If the feet are on the plates and the body makes contact with either of the electrodes, or with both of the electrodes, there is electrocution. The full voltage in either of the above events is passed through the animal body. The electrodes being convergent, and being capable of being bent toward each other, the clearance width or space between them may be made such as to be readily engaged by animals of various sizes. Incident to the violent fiexure of the animals muscles accompanying electrocution, the animal is thrown clear of the recess. If for any reason such throw might be prevented, there is no electrical reaction because the amount of current conducted by the body of the victim is practically nil. Repeated use of the trap is had Without a y necessity of cleansing or of rebaiting,

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An electric trap comprising a body structure having a channel shaped recess the opposed walls of Which are dielectric, a floor interconnecting said opposed walls, a compartment communicating with said recess which is adapted to retain a lure, conductive floor plates each supported at a position adjacent to a wall, said plates being opposite from and adjacent to each other and in the zone intermediate thersaid compartment and the outboard portion of said recess, spaced insulated conductors integrated with said body, an end of each being exposed and constituting an electrical connection at a side of said-body, and the other ends of said conductors being exposed and constituting electrodes at the opposed walls of said recess, a conductivewire connecting one of said conductors to one of the said floor plates, and a conductive wire interconnecting the other of said conductors to the other of said floor plates.

2. An :electric .trap, consisting of ia dielectric body-having a longiutdinal'recess, a compartment communicating with said recess and a'floo'r interconnecting the opposite walls of :said recess, spaced conductive plateseach inset in said-floor at aposition adjacent to :each other and adjacent to said compartment,. a conductive striparranged on the face of eachLof said wallsand'extending from'the zone of said plates'andito the outboard end of said recess thence being'turn'ed within the mass ofsai-d body and extending to the opposite-end thereof andembodying aterminal connection, and a conductorinterconnecting each of said stripsand the floor-plate adjacent thereto.

3. A destroying device of thekind rde'scriloed, consisting of a dielectric 'bo'dystructu're'having a recess Whose side walls are "convergent, said-recess being provided with a floor, apositive and a negativeterminal connection in the end;of :said body opposite the outboard portionlof said :recess, a conductive strip extending from each :ofssaid'terminal connections, said strips being in'ibedde'd in said body and protruded therefrom at theoutboard end thereof and 'thence ibent rearwardly and arranged along 'the inner faces of the walls of said recess, spaced conductive plates cachinsetin said'flcor at position spacedfromthe outboard end of said. recess, and-a conductorconmeeting each of said floor plates with an adjacent conductive strip.

4:. An electric trap consisting :of a dielectric body rectangular in cross .secticmand having :a

the walls of said recess to a point adjacent said :compartment, spaced conductive plates on said floor each at a position spaced from the outboard-end of said recess, and a conductor connecting eachroi-said plates with an adjacent conductive strip.

5. A destroying device of the kind described, comprising a dielectric body having flat bottom surface and being provided witha channel shaped longitudinal recess whose opposed'walls are convergent, a compartment communicating with said recess at its inboard portion and provided with a stud for the retention of a lure, a floor interconnecting the walls of said recess andthe lower portion of said compartment and having an opening therein communicating with said compartment, a positive and negative terminal connection at the end of-said body opposite the outboard portion of said recess, a'conductive strip extending from each of said terminal connections, said strips being imbedded in said body and passed through same at the outboard portion thereof and thence having a bend rearwardly and arranged along the inner faces of the walls of said recess to a-point adjacent said compartment, spaced conductive plates on said 'floor each at a position spaced from the outboard end of said'recess, and a conductor connecting each of said plates with an adjacent conductivestrip.

HARRY L. RATCHFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this "patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,302,787 Meehan Nov, 24, 1942 1,024,967 Balint Apr. 30, 1912 l,024;060 Calvert Apr. 23, 1912 2,278,538 'Dubilier Apr. 7, I942 

